Charles Lwanga, assistant professor of music (ethnomusicology) has published his creative ethnomusicology composition “Silence and Suspence” for marimba, a composition that brings atonal and African art music into conversation. Inspired by Western and African music, the piece employs a 12-tone row in its prime form alongside African art composition procedures such as repetition and variation, the interplay of symmetrical and asymmetrical phrases, and the intentional use of dead strokes as percussive punctuations strategically situated to cultivate a non-lyrical sonic narrative.
Originally composed for solo cello, the idea of a marimba version of “Silence and Suspence” was initiated by doctoral student Paige Madden during Lwanga’s “Theory and Analysis of Nonwestern and World Musics” class in the fall term of 2024. Madden is pursuing her DMA in percussion performance and is a 2024 graduate fellow in SMTD’s graduate certificate program in World Performance Studies.
On October 30, 2024, the piece was workshopped by the renowned performer Nancy Zeltsman in the presence of Lwanga as well as that of the percussion faculty and graduate students. Before it was recorded, Lwanga and Madden also held a lesson to make sure that all effects were coming off as intended.
The duo is excited to see a semester-long project successfully culminate into a recording and publication. In its cello version, the piece will appear on Lwanga’s first CD publication of his creative ethnomusicological compositions in the near future. Meanwhile, the video of “Silence and Suspence” as performed by Paige Madden is now streaming on YouTube.